Over 40 monkeys escape from South Carolina research facility: NPR

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More than 40 rhesus macaques have escaped from a research facility in South Carolina. Pictured here are River, left, and Timon, both rhesus macaques formerly used in medical research, in an outdoor enclosure at Primates Inc., in Westfield, Wis., on May 13, 2019.

River, left, and Timon, both rhesus macaques previously used in medical research, sit in an outdoor enclosure at Primates Inc., in Westfield, Wis., on May 13, 2019. The sanctuary is a 17-acre rural building, where research animals can live out their remaining years after their studies are complete. A report released Thursday, May 4, 2023, says a shortage of monkeys available for medical research is undermining America’s preparedness to respond to public health emergencies.

Carrie Antlfinger/AP


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Carrie Antlfinger/AP

Dozens of monkeys have escaped from a research facility in Yemassee, SC, prompting police to urge residents to lock their doors and windows until the primates have been caught.

The Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center is home to the 43 escaped female rhesus macaque primates, which police describe as very young and weighing between 6 and 7 pounds.

“The Yemassee Police Department, in cooperation with Alpha Genesis, has launched search teams to help locate the escaped primates. Alpha Genesis is currently tracking the primates and working to lure them with food,” police said in a statement.

“The public are advised to avoid the area as these animals are described as skittish and any further noise or movement may hinder their safe capture.”

The monkeys had never been used for testing because of their young age and are too young to carry diseases, the statement said.

Attempts to reach Alpha Genesis for comment went unanswered.

speaks to CBS NewsAlpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard said a caretaker accidentally left a door to the enclosure unsecured. The ensuing escape, he said, was like an overly literal version of monkey see, monkey do.

“It’s really like following the leader. You see one go and the others go,” Westergaard said. “It was a group of 50 and seven stayed and 43 bolted out the door.”

Although he called the escape “frustrating,” Westergaard said he hoped the monkeys would eventually return home of their own free will.